MBiz | Spring 2014

business is booming.

VOL . 5

MAY 2014

SHAPING MANITOBA'S FUTURE

New strategic plan will be a blueprint for success P4

As Canada’s recruiter for people 45 and over, ThirdQuarter specializes in the recruitment of experienced men and women in the ‘third quarter’ of their careers.

Employers like you come to us because we carefully match the skills requested by businesses and organizations across Canada with the qualifications our reliable, responsible and hard-working applicants have to offer. In partnership with Skills Connect Inc. and the Manitoba Chambers of Commerce, our workforce initiative for 2014 and beyond is to HireExperience. We are working to help improve long-standing, public and corporate perceptions of experienced workers by championing their skills, talents and multi-faceted abilities. We believe in and are working to build age-friendly workplaces where employers build on the skills and strengths of both their more experienced and newer workers. Successful Canadian companies do not hire one at the exclusion of the other. They hire smart. They hire wisdom. They hire experience.

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MAY 2014 VOL. 5 B IZ MB MANITOBA CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE mbchamber.mb.ca PRESIDENT & CEO Chuck Davidson DIRECTOR OF POLICY & COMMUNICATIONS Cory Kolt WINNIPEG FREE PRESS winnipegfreepress.com PUBLISHER Bob Cox VICE PRESIDENT SALES Laurie Finley MANAGER OF NICHE PRODUCTS Barb Borden barb.borden@freepress.mb.ca EDITOR Pat St. Germain pdstgermain@gmail.com WRITERS Jackie De Pape Hornick Wendy King

S oon after taking over as president and CEO of the Manitoba Chambers of Commerce (MCC) last June, Chuck Davidson was inundated with calls from local chamber executives who wanted the MCC to facilitate a professional development association that would help chambers across Manitoba unite, learn and grow. Now they have it. The Chamber Executives of Manitoba (CEM) is made up of managers and staff of chambers of commerce and boards of trade. The MCC is serving as the administrative body, but Davidson says the CEM will be an independent body. “The local chambers asked for this and for it to be successful and be of value to them, we have to let them grow and develop from here, and they are running with it.” CEM offers education, resources and networking opportunities for chamber professionals. Led by Brandon Chamber of Commerce general manager Carolynn Cancade, it held its first AGM prior to the MCC AGM in Dauphin in early April. CEM members heard from social media experts and fellow chamber members on ways to strengthen their local chambers and help the provincial chamber work more effectively with local members. WHEN MEMBERS SPEAK, WE LISTEN.

Chuck Davidson

For her part, Cancade understands that local chambers must have a pool of resources to help them grow, and she sees the CEM as a positive addition to the Manitoba chamber network. “A number of local chambers work on an island and are operated by dedicated officials,” Cancade says. “This group allows us to understand what challenges the chambers are dealing with and share our knowledge and experience to help give them the tools required to address those issues. Without a support network, many of these chambers will continue to be isolated and that will damage our ability to support our communities.” If you are a chamber or board of trade executive director, manager, CEO or staff member, you may become a member of the CEM. Contact the Manitoba Chambers of Commerce for more information. www.mbchamber.mb.ca

Jennifer McFee Holli Moncrieff David Square PHOTOGRAPHY Darcy Finley Fred Greenslade David Square Numerous organizations supplied DESIGN Jane Chartrand PRINTING Quantum Graphics D P D Fr D N su D Ja P Q

FEATURED THIS MONTH IN MBIZ:

• 2014 AGM .................... 4 • Western ...................... 10 • Parkland .................... 14 • ’pegBiz Magazine .. 17(1) • Norman ...................... 18

• Pembina Valley .......... 20 • Central ...................... 22 • Interlake .................... 24 • Midwest ..................... 26 • Eastern ...................... 28 20 22 24 26 28

MANITOBA CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE SETS NEW DIRECTION AT 2014 AGM Above: Chamber Executives of Manitoba in attendance were (back row from left) Matt Allard (Francophone/St. Boniface), Becky Cianflone (Altona), Candace Olfason (Morden), Carolynn Cancade (Brandon), Dianne Friesen (Winkler), Linda Peters (Steinbach) and (front from left) Ernie Nairn (Assiniboia), Cindy McDonald (Portage), Chuck Davidson, Angela Braun (Winkler), Sheri Skalesky (Selkirk) and Chantal Skraba (Dauphin). Photos courtesy of Manitoba Chambers of Commerce

O ver the past 12 months under new leadership, the Manitoba Chambers of Commerce (MCC) has continued to build its brand as the “Voice of Manitoba Business.” Following an exhaustive review of how the chamber operates, both internally and externally, a new focus has emerged: A stronger focus on delivering value to members and non-members, opening lines of communication with our 66 local chambers, and increasing meaningful participation with the launch of a new breakfast speakers series and events that put the business community in one room with leaders from across the province. All that work behind the scenes came to the forefront over the course of three days in April, when the growing community of Dauphin played host to the 83rd Manitoba Chambers of Commerce Annual General Meeting. The weekend not only showcased the strengths in the parkland region, but highlighted the strength and commitment of MCC. In late 2013, chamber managers and executives called on MCC to help provide an outlet to explore best practices and find ways to reach out to grow the chamber network. This led to the establishment of the Chamber Executives of Manitoba, which held its inaugural AGM in Dauphin. It was an opportunity for

chambers from all areas of Manitoba to come together and discuss the issues facing their chambers, initiatives they’ve implemented to increase value to their members and ways they can best feed into improvements in the provincial chamber network. In past years, the MCC’s AGM has focused primarily on policy and issues related to policy development. Over the past year, members made it clear that while policy is the core of what MCC does, there needs to be a better balance. MCC heard that message loud and clear and has worked to improve. A new AGM format, focused on business sessions, was created to bring in speakers from different fields to speak on a variety of topics — the power of tourism, economic development opportunities, the benefits and importance of exploring new markets and strengthening the chamber network. In addition, Winnipeg Blue Bombers COO Jim Bell provided a look at the future direction of the football team and how it’s connecting with and growing its fan base across Manitoba. MCC also welcomed a new board of directors, and unveiled a new, three-year strategic plan that will help form the guiding principles for MCC. Designed after months of consultation and discussion, the plan focuses on three priorities: Economic competitiveness, development of the local chamber network and

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organizational development. Over the next three years, MCC will foster a stronger entrepreneurial climate and help remove the economic barriers businesses face. The organization is committed to developing a strong, more unified network to bring greater value to the business community. And it will strengthen its internal organization and create more opportunities for members to participate in policy development and networking events. The weekend was one of renewal, and confirmation from the business community that MCC is moving in the right direction. For MCC president and CEO Chuck Davidson, who was named to his position at last year’s AGM, the message and direction is clear. “The steps our organization took in the past 12 months were not easy, but we come out the other side more focused and determined to make Manitoba a more competitive place to do business,” Davidson said. “We have a mandate from our board and our members to address the issues facing Manitoba business; now we must find ways to work with government to find solutions to those issues.” JOIN US AT THE MANITOBA CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE 2015 AGM IN BRANDON MAY 1-3, 2015. Top: Travel Manitoba CEO Colin Ferguson checks out the new strategic plan. Bottom: Chuck Davidson, Carol Paradine (Harry Mardon Award winner), Alyson Sametz (Dauphin Chamber president) and Frank Sottana (CIBC and MCC director at large).

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OFFICERS Chair: Kenneth Thomas, Bridge Road Development Vice chair: Michael Selci, BDC Vice chair: Kyle Romaniuk, The CHR Group Past chair: Jamie Jurczak, Taylor McCaffrey LLP Treasurer: Regan Windsor, Manitoba Hydro Secretary: Merv Gunter, Frontiers North Inc. Legal counsel: Todd Andres, Pitblado DIRECTORS (CHAMBER) Gerry Glatz, Assiniboia Chamber of Commerce Damon Johnston, Aboriginal Chamber of Commerce Mabel Maxim, Morris Chamber of Commerce Brian Scharfstein, Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce Scott Whitmore, Dauphin Chamber of Commerce DIRECTORS (CORPORATE) Michelle Aitkenhead, RBC* Johnathan Fahr, Fahr Group Wadood Ibrahim, Protegra Kevin Klein, MyToba.com Dale Lacombe, DMT Development Systems Group Judy Murphy, Safety Services Manitoba * Kevin Ploegman, Deloitte * DIRECTORS AT LARGE (APPOINTED BY CHAIR) Barry Cullen, Key West Photo Wayne McWhirter, MNP Frank Sottana, CIBC Jack Wilson, Manitoba Hydro International DIRECTORS (REPRESENTING PAST CHAIRS – CHOSEN BY EXECUTIVE) Brian Kelly, Kelwin Management David Newman, Pitblado MEET THE 2014 MANITOBA CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE BOARD OF DIRECTORS:

2014 board members include Wadood Ibrahim (above), Merv Gunter (top right) and Brian Scharfstein.

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MISSING LINKS? BUILD A BETTER WEBSITE TO CLICK WITH CLIENTS by Jennifer McFee

W e all know the frustration of searching through company websites only to find obsolete page links, outdated “news” and incomplete contact information. But better business may be just a click away. Selkirk Biz got a complete website makeover a year ago, and executive director Sheri Skalesky says the results have been overwhelmingly positive for the Biz and its members. “I can’t stress enough the importance of having a website presence in today’s day and age. It is definitely one of the first places people will look for information,” Skalesky says. “In terms of technology, a few years is a long time. Even though our website had been done in 2008, it was time to refresh it and put some more thought into it. Things change so rapidly.” Web services across the province have the expertise to bring

your business up to speed. Modern Earth helped create the fresh new look for Selkirk Biz, formerly the Selkirk and District Chamber of Commerce. “We were going through a rebranding at the time. They were able to provide feedback on some of the ideas that we were looking at. Definitely our partnership with Modern Earth went beyond refreshing the website,” Skalesky says. The website now features a membership directory complete with photos, logos, links and more. “A lot of our members are predominantly small businesses without a web presence, so this actually gives them something they were missing,” Skalesky says. “We were really pleased to be able to provide that to our members.”

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Modern Earth president Philip Giles and company have worked with clients across North America, with a broad base in rural Manitoba. Giles offers some practical advice that applies to any website. “Make it easy for people to contact you. Contact information should always be visible on the screen. And make sure you do a regular audit of links to ensure they don’t disappear to nowhereland,” he says. “There’s no secret to this. Just give clients what they’re looking for.

“The amount of time depends on your business. If you have a restaurant with daily specials, you might want to post them daily. But if you’re an accounting firm that doesn’t have much news, putting in half an hour a week is probably enough for you.” To make matters easier, you can share messages across a variety of platforms. “When you look at building a social media presence, you need

There are fantastic tools for being online, and we can provide some great solutions.” Engaging customers and clients is important, so you should include any content you think people will find interesting. “Marketing is going back to the old way of doing things, which is having conversations with people. It’s exciting. Social media is all about having conversations now, which is a wonderful opportunity but takes more time and effort.” Giles recommends setting aside time each week to maintain your website or other online platforms.

to consider that people consume information in vastly different ways. You have a different audience on Facebook than you do on Twitter than you do on your website,” Giles says. “We try to help organizations link all of those up, so you only ever have to update one of them for the others to be updated. You’re not having to work as hard to do it.” And the process to update information is surprisingly easy, even for technophobes.

“I can’t stress enough the importance of having a website presence in today’s day and age. It is definitely one of the first places people will look for information.”

“We try to make it manageable for people. We look at who the client is, what they need to do, what their technical skill level is and give them the appropriate solution,” Giles says. “Honestly, if you can use Word, you can update your website content. It’s that easy. We offer support, so they can just call us and get help.”

“It’s a commitment. You don’t do it once and forget about it. When you start the process, keeping it up to date is part of what you do. You need to set aside a period of time every week to work on it. It’s like a client appointment,” he says.

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OFF THE ROPES EX-WRESTLER SAYS SOURIS ECONOMY IS BACK IN THE PINK by David Square

Photo by Emanuel Melo

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WESTERN BOISSEVAIN & DISTRICT CHAMBER OF COMMERCE BRANDON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE CARBERRY & DISTRICT CHAMBER OF COMMERCE CYPRESS RIVER CHAMBER OF COMMERCE DELORAINE & AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE ELKHORN DISTRICT CHAMBER OF COMMERCE MELITA & DISTRICT CHAMBER OF COMMERCE SOURIS & GLENWOOD CHAMBER OF COMMERCE VIRDEN & AREA COMMUNITY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE WASKADA & AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE NEW & NOTEWORTHY >> The Brandon Chamber of Commerce 2014 Business Achievement Awards went to five recipients in March. And the winners are: >> Doug Murray (business person of the year): Murray is CEO of the Murray Auto Centre, which consists of Murray Chevrolet Cadillac Buick GMC, Murray Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram Westman and Marshall Motors. The centre is one of Brandon’s largest private employers with over 170 full and part-time staff. >> Jeff Cristal (lifetime business builder): Through more than 30 years in the accounting profession, Cristal has earned a reputation as a trusted advisor and developed lasting relationships with local business leaders. He is currently a valuations and corporate finance consultant at MNP. >> Bernie Crisp (community service award): Crisp has been president of the Brandon Riverbank board since 2010. He has worked with the Brandon Planning Commission, the Manitoba Games Council and Special Olympics, the Rotary Club and many more organizations. >> BEHLEN Industries (business excellence award): BEHLEN Industries was established in 1969, and is Canada’s largest manufacturer of steel building systems. The company provides building solutions to North America’s leading organizations and has expanded to serve customers worldwide. >> The Paw Resort & Wellness Centre (outstanding new business): The resort offers dog and cat boarding, grooming, dog day care and training classes. Pets can frolic, get a new hairstyle and then rest easy while their family is away.

Former wrestler Vern May (a.k.a Vance Nevada) is the new economic development officer for Souris and the RM of Glenwood. The iconic Souris Bridge (at left above and below) has been replaced by a new model, and that’s just one of many positive developments for the region. Photos courtesy of Souris & Glenwood Community Development Corp.

A former professional wrestler has been tagged to shape up the Souris economy. And Vern May — a.k.a. Vance Nevada — is determined to get the town back into fighting form. After 20 years and some 1,500 bouts in the ring, May returned to his hometown last fall to assume the position of economic development officer for Souris and the RM of Glenwood. And he’s putting the marketing knowledge he picked up on the wrestling circuit to good use. “The insights I learned about how to promote events during my wrestling days will serve me well in my new position,” he says. The town’s tourism industry took a hit after its swinging bridge was knocked out of commission during the 2011 flood. But the bridge is back — rebuilt in 2013 at a cost of $4.5 million, it’s guaranteed to withstand a 300-year flood level. And May is pulling out all the stops to promote the town’s many other charms. He helped compile a 28-page magazine with a pop-up map that highlights businesses, amenities and unique attractions — which include the peacocks that are the unofficial ambassadors for Souris in the summertime. Peacocks are among the many birds who are at home in the local bird sanctuary, and over the years they’ve expanded their range to encompass the entire community.

May is also working with three local museums to coordinate their marketing plans and introduce interactive elements that appeal to younger crowds. And he wants to add new twists to annual fairs and festivals, including a game of zombies vs. humans and multicultural food tasting. With a 20-acre camping area, a beautiful 18- hole golf course and a state-of-the-art water park and swimming pool, the town has a lot to offer visitors, and May is working to attract new residents as well. Just 25 minutes from Brandon, Souris is a relatively easy commute, and a 55-plus development could lure people who are nearing retirement, as well as retain seniors who might otherwise leave the community. There’s plenty of entertainment in the offing as well. Country music star Aaron Pritchett will be the headline act at the Glenwood Memorial Complex on June 27 to kick off an event dubbed the Swinging Bridge Weekend. And while May was forced into retirement due to a neck injury, the town was in for some pro wrestling action recently, when CWE Wrestling planned to bring its Last Action Hero tour to the Memorial Complex. “So far, I think we’re on the right track,” May says. “Souris is no longer on the mat.”

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T he province’s High School Apprenticeship Program (HSAP) has benefits for both students and employers, and Turtle Mountain School Division wants to get the word out. The program lets kids earn high school credits while they start their training in paid, part-time jobs. And there are financial incentives such as tax credits for employers who sponsor students. Division apprenticeship coordinator Rick Korman, who teaches at Killarney School, says there are also wider benefits for the rural economy. “Some of the kids end up sticking around, so it kind of is a rural incentive to keep kids in the local environment and yet still pursue a trade — a high-level paying job,” he says. Carpentry, electrical, plumbing and mechanical trades are typical options, along with autobody repair and welding. Korman says mechanical trades could include everything from APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM WORKS FOR TEENS AND EMPLOYERS LEARNING & EARNING

small engine repair and refrigeration to agricultural technician. Businesses in Killarney have helped students pursue trades in construction and autobody repair and Veva’s Diner in Boissevain takes in kids who are interested in culinary arts. The program was set up to encourage students at the age of 16 to start considering trades. Korman says it’s a good program for students who may not be academically inclined and who need to earn extra credits. But it’s also important for kids who would typically be entering university after graduation, and parents have to become more aware that trades are a good career option. “Typically the emphasis with parents and families is that if you do well in school, you should look to go to university. And that isn’t always the case,” he says. Trades offer good pay, opportunities to work anywhere in Canada and flexibility to write your own ticket. Korman says one student in the Killarney area who graduated six or seven years ago is already running his own business. With baby boomers retiring in droves, Canadian employers are facing a skills shortage and smart employers are starting recruitment efforts early. A representative from Manitoba Hydro is coming to Killarney in May to present a skills day for high school kids. “They already recognize that they’re going to need a lot of students,” Korman says, adding students will learn what skill sets they need and what courses they should be taking now to pursue a career with Manitoba Hydro. “Physics in high school is one of the courses that they like students to take, and a lot of people don’t know that,” he says. “Kids get the information in school. It’s a lot of parents that don’t necessarily have the information. A lot has changed since they went to school.” Employers interested in sponsoring a student in the division can email rkorman@tmsdmb.ca.

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WORRIED ABOUT THE KNOWLEDGE GAP? BUILD A SOLID BRIDGE by Alexandra Lopez-Pacheco for ThirdQuarter

A s more and more boomers retire, many companies are getting perilously close to the edge of the knowledge gap. Some are turning to quick fixes, but piecemeal remedies are not ideal, says Barbara Jaworski, founder of the Workplace Institute, which specializes in helping companies develop strategies for boomer employees. The knowledge gap is just one aspect of a larger demographic issue. And Jaworski has experience in addressing such challenges. She is one of the pioneers in work/life balance programs in Canada, which were created to address the last demographic seismic shift in the workplace — women entering the workforce in large numbers. Some companies are using technology to record the knowledge of soon-to-retire workers, but that’s “only useful for knowledge that is static,” Jaworski says. “Often the knowledge needed is for a situational decision. It’s difficult to record that type of knowledge.” Mentoring programs can be successful if they’re well supported and linked to strategic objectives. But Jaworski says a better strategy for boomers is “to create a culture where you value their input, give them an interesting opportunity to pass on the knowledge, train them on how to do it, maybe even continue to tap into them after they retire.” It’s also about bringing back intergenerational continuity. Over the last few decades, many companies have lost this, as well as its advantages, which include the natural flow of knowledge from generation to generation. In decades past, businesses invested in apprenticeship and training programs, which often connected newcomers with experienced employees. According to Conference Board of Canada research, however, the amount Canadian companies invest in all employee

training has shrunk by close to 40% since the early 1990s. Yet another blow to continuity came in the rush over the last 20 years to replace many full-time jobs with part-time and contract ones. Not only were there fewer Generation Xs to fill jobs overall, but there were fewer sticking around for the long haul in many organizations, whether voluntarily or involuntarily. Some industries, such as mining, have been hit particularly hard simply because they didn’t have the “new economy” appeal and could barely attract enough new people. There is, however, hope in lessons learned from the past. “When women were just entering the workforce, we initially developed a lot of programs to help women with childcare responsibilities. That evolved into us developing programs that helped everyone,” Jaworski says. A similar evolution can take place through programs that address boomer needs. “Your younger workers benefit if you have an older worker strategy. They see what the path is and there’s comfort for both parties to be able to get what they need out of learning and respect and growing in the organization,” Jaworski says. As well, workplaces have to develop a culture that encourages older workers to openly discuss their exit plans. “In many organizations you are sort of discarded once you announce you’re looking to retire or reduce your workload,” she says. “In fact, encouraging older workers to participate in the discussion of how they will transition out and tap into the knowledge they’ve accumulated to contribute to the younger workers in a new way would make their job more exciting and interesting than if it’s framed just in terms of the mentoring piece or knowledge transfer with the view once the knowledge is passed on they’re no longer valued.”

Alexandra Lopez-Pacheco is a freelance journalist and an associate with ThirdQuarter. ThirdQuarter is owned by Skills Connect Inc. which is part of the Manitoba Chambers of Commerce. For information about the recruitment and candidate services of ThirdQuarter, please go to www.thirdquarter.ca or www.hire-experience.ca

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ARE YOU EXPERIENTIAL? HERE’S HOW TO CATCH THE NEW TOURISM WAVE by Wendy King

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YOU KNOW IT’S EXPERIENTIAL TOURISM WHEN …

• You have a trained storyteller/guide who is an expert in their field. • You offer a meaningful, authentic, local, fully integrated immersion experience which is interactive and in which all guests actively participate. • You are using existing infrastructure to maximize the benefit to the community

and enhance the guest experience. • Your package is priced to reflect the value of the storyteller/guide’s expertise, the experience provided and the value to the guest. • Activities are organized by a tour operator/broker into a relevant itinerary which provides a structure for the guest.

PARKLAND DAUPHIN & DISTRICT CHAMBER OF COMMERCE ROBLIN & DISTRICT CHAMBER OF COMMERCE ROSSBURN & DISTRICT CHAMBER OF COMMERCE RUSSELL & DISTRICT CHAMBER OF COMMERCE SWAN VALLEY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE NEW & NOTEWORTHY >> Dauphin & District Chamber of Commerce earned praise from all quarters when it hosted the Manitoba Chambers of Commerce Annual General Meeting in April. The chamber wowed delegates with its Party Like Locals Speakeasy reception, which included a Ukrainian dance performance. President Alyson Sametz was selected by the local chamber board to receive the Manitoba Chambers volunteer of the year award. >> The Dauphin chamber hosts its annual Street Fair and Dance July 31. Each year, the chamber transforms downtown Dauphin for the family event, which features live entertainment, a kids zone, vendors, unique food, farmers’ market, horse-drawn wagon rides, and beer gardens in the evening — there is something for everyone at the Street Fair. >> Dauphin’s Countryfest has announced that Blake Shelton, Rascall Flatts, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and The Band Perry will be among the headliners June 26-29.

Taste of Dauphin: Full-immersion experiences might include a unique ice-fishing excursion, the Savour the Flavour tour with Ukrainian food and dancing, and a fun ride on Cubi, the town’s seven-seat conference bicycle. Photos courtesy of Tourism Dauphin

M ost companies have a CEO — a chief executive officer. Earth Rhythms does too. Except their CEO is the chief experience officer. That’s how company president Celes Davar describes his role at the value-driven tour company. Since 1996, he’s specialized in customized tours in Riding Mountain National Park and the surrounding area. He is also a facilitator and trainer, teaching tour operators how to create programs and add value to their businesses with something called experiential tourism. It’s a way of providing tour experiences that comes out of extensive proprietary research undertaken by the Canadian Tourism Commission and national polling company Environics. Their research showed that social values were the driving force behind what people choose to do when they travel. They found that what people are looking for is a real experience — something that leaves them with an indelible memory. There is one key element, however. "At the heart of experiential tourism is a guide or storyteller, and without that guide or storyteller, it is not an experience," Davar says. "It’s the storyteller that guides you into the heart of something, and in that guiding, a relationship is developed. And it is there that the meaning and the relevance of place becomes really beautiful." Davar says storytellers are local people like beekeepers, chefs, musicians, guides or producers. They’re all doing their own thing, but are trained to provide programs. "I have 30 partners who are part of my rural network of storytellers. I look for people

with storytelling ability; people who are passionate about what they do. They have a knowledge base that I would consider to be expert," he says. Davar was a key player in helping Dauphin create its highly successful Savour the Flavour program to provide just those kinds of experiences. He talked with community members about their assets and through the facilitation of the Dauphin Economic Development office, they began to see what they had to offer. He posed the question: What if people who came here actually paid for the privilege of having access to your culture? The development process began with an inventory of infrastructure. What is already available and how can it be used? Dauphin was already well known for its annual Ukrainian Festival: It had a historic church with a large commercial kitchen, and a vibrant Ukrainian community steeped in culture, food and music. Add a bevy of babas who could showcase their culture and a star attraction was born. The group experience is delivered to about 750 people each year. It begins with a traditional Ukrainian welcome with bread and salt. Guests are taken to the church kitchen where the ladies (the babas) have stations set up for bread making. Each guest braids the top of a loaf of bread before it goes into the oven. In the meantime, they’re interacting with the ladies, learning some of the language and traditions. A Ukrainian meal usually follows, and then a local dance group comes in and teaches the guests to dance. "Two and a half hours later, our guests walk out having learned culture, talked with and

CONTINUED >>

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Food for thought: Visitors to Dauphin might check out exhibits at the Watson Art Centre (left) and enjoy an elaborate lunch on a frozen lake too. Photos courtesy of Tourism Dauphin

>> CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE

learned from wonderful women, learned some of the Ukrainian language, taken away something personal, and learned to dance," Davar says. "Then they go home and they talk about it and share their pictures. It’s authentic, it’s real, it’s visceral, it’s emotional, and there’s nothing scripted about it.” Part of the experience is not only making community venues a place of engagement and immersion, but bringing value to the community group that has that facility. Tour groups book the experience through Tourism Dauphin, and the cultural groups involved in the experience — the Ukrainian Catholic Women’s League and Sche Raz dance troupe are the main participants — share average annual revenues of about $22,000. Experiential tourism isn’t entirely new to Dauphin. Iconic local fisher Don (Sticky) Stokotelny, who owns Sticky’s Bait, Tackle and Guiding, has offered unique ice-fishing experiences for many years. Guests pile in to a Bombardier to ride in comfort to the best fishing spots on Lake Dauphin, where they enjoy a catered high-end barbecue lunch and an authentic fish fry for dinner. The town also offers a seven-seat conference bike for local tours. One of only two such bikes in North America, it was designed and built by a German artist. A guide steers the bike to local sites and it can be an add-on to the Savour the Flavour tour. When it comes to creating memorable experiences, Davar says community size doesn’t matter. "I would argue that every community has the infrastructure, we just haven’t learned to put programming in it." But communities do have to conduct an inventory of their assets and their storytellers and then match the two together. "You can have the size, you can have all the attributes and all the assets, but until you create the programming, it hasn’t happened," he says. "And this is entirely applicable to a town of 400 as it is to a city of two million." Davar says we can learn a lot from this small regional cultural capital that’s taking ownership of its culture through experiential tourism. With its soft environmental footprint, and the co-operative engagement of community members, businesses and their resources, it’s a vital economic driver that requires little financial investment with a potentially high rate of return. "When you talk about tourism at the community level, you’re really talking about collaboration, how you get businesses working together. And when you get the whole community working together, that’s economic development at its best."

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MEET MARKET: INTRODUCING CENTRALLIA MANITOBA PAGE 7

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CLASS ACTION TEENS TAKE CHARGE PAGE 16

YOUNG & BOLD START-UP BUS CRAWL 2014 PAGE 12

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MAY 2014 VOL. 3

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WINNIPEG CHAMBER OF COMMERCE winnipeg-chamber.com PRESIDENT & CEO Dave Angus DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS Alana Odegard WINNIPEG FREE PRESS winnipegfreepress.com PUBLISHER Bob Cox VICE PRESIDENT SALES Laurie Finley MANAGER OF NICHE PRODUCTS Barb Borden Barb.Borden@freepress.mb.ca EDITOR Pat St. Germain pdstgermain@gmail.com WRITERS

CHAMBERS WITHIN THE CAPITAL REGION: ABORIGINAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE ASSINIBOIA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE CHAMBRE DE COMMERCE FRANCOPHONE DE SAINT-BONIFACE HEADINGLEY REGIONAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE LA SALLE & AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE SELKIRK BIZ STONEWALL & DISTRICT CHAMBER OF COMMERCE WINNIPEG CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Danelle Cloutier Sherry Kaniuga Jennifer McFee Holli Moncrieff David Schmeichel

Pat St. Germain PHOTOGRAPHY Darcy Finley Numerous organizations supplied DESIGN Jane Chartrand PRINTING Quantum Graphics

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THERE WAS A LOT OF BOLD TALK AT THE METROPOLITAN ENTERTAINMENT CENTRE ON APRIL 22. Inspiring speakers shared visions of a golden future at the BOLD Winnipeg Conference, presented by the Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce and sponsored by Pitblado Law. Point Douglas MLA Kevin Chief, Minister for Children and Youth Opportunities, delivered a passionate keynote speech calling on Manitobans to support our most vulnerable families, and to make investments in young people and the future they represent. “The most important thing is to get the people who believe in the potential of our community all together,” Chief said. And that’s exactly what the BOLD conference did. Diane Roussin, director of the Winnipeg Boldness Project, spoke about the new seven-year early childhood development initiative that’s truly aimed at our most vulnerable citizens — babies and children. The project is focused on transforming lives of Point Douglas kids whose futures are ripe with potential. BOLD community leaders spoke about something called Creat-ivation — a fusion of arts, culture, innovation and technology that happens to be one of Winnipeg’s most precious natural resources. They talked about creating community — promoting a unified vision for Winnipeg’s future that embraces a common cause as well as our diversity. And they looked to the future with the next generation of business leaders and social advocates, including active-transportation champion Anders Swanson. BOLD has always been about bringing new ideas, leaders and initiatives into the light. And more than ever it’s about community engagement. The chamber wants Winnipeggers to take ownership of BOLD, and it’s created a social platform to invite participation.

BUY THE BOOK: LEADERSHIP WINNIPEG HAS WRITE STUFF PAGE 6 SPIRIT OF WINNIPEG AWARDS PAGE 8 ENTREPRENEURS TAKE EXPRESS TO SUCCESS PAGE 12 WENXIA GE IS FLUENT IN THE LANGUAGE OF BUSINESS PAGE 19 WE’RE ALL CRIME STOPPERS PAGE 22

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leadership winnipeg

T omorrow’s leaders are getting a jumpstart today with an inside introduction to the city’s trailblazers. Through a 10-month program called Leadership Winnipeg, run by the Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce and Volunteer Manitoba, participants interview community leaders and compile profiles to create a hardcover book. Program liaison Wendy Stephenson says it’s open to anyone who wants to become a leader. “The definition of community leader can vary. It could be someone who wants to take a leadership role in their workplace or someone who wants to go into politics,” she says. “It could be someone who wants to step onto a community board or someone who just wants to be a volunteer and help out.” The 28 participants are eligible for credits at Red River College, the University of Winnipeg and the University of Manitoba. One day each month, they meet for tours and activities that are usually based around themes. For example, when they examined Winnipeg LEADERS’ DIGEST NEXT GENERATION LEARNS BY THE BOOK by Jennifer McFee

Take me to your leaders: Students visit Mountain Equipment Co-op during a recent business tour. Photo by Darcy Finley

the style is consistent and that there’s no facts that are wrong. Then the class works with a designer at Honest Agency to choose a look and feel for the book,” Stephenson says. “It’s really been amazing. We’ve done three books so far. We’re working on our fourth. This is also an opportunity for them to learn time management and meeting deadlines because the book has to be ready for our last class.” Those skills prove useful again when it’s time to organize the book launch, which takes place in June. “They get the experience of organizing an event,” she says. “They get to choose where they want it, and they have a budget that they have to work within.” The books are published through Blurb.com, and copies of each year’s creation can be ordered online. Prices of previous editions have ranged from $42 to $56. “We found that it is being used as a coffee table book in many offices because it showcases Winnipeg,” Stephenson says. “It’s really cool to be able to have the book out in public and being used to showcase the really neat people we have in our city.” The Leadership Winnipeg program costs $1,000, and the Winnipeg Foundation has provided funds to subsidize up to half of the fee. So far, the program has proven successful, since past participants have assumed leadership roles already. “Now some of the people are sitting on the board of the Children’s Museum and The Forks North Portage. One of the fellows is now volunteering at the Holy Names House of Peace. Another fellow got on the organizing committee for the International Winter Cycling Congress,” Stephenson says. “We’re seeing our grads moving into the community, which is great. It’s all about leadership. What we’re doing is providing them with the skills, the knowledge and the understanding of themselves, their community and their role in it.”

as a creative city, they paid visits to the Royal Winnipeg Ballet, Prairie Theatre Exchange, Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre and Winnipeg Art Gallery. “Winnipeg has a rich history, so we’ve also talked about diversity and immigration. We’ve met at the Immigration Centre. Then we looked at the inner city, so we’ve visited Mount Carmel Clinic and the Red Rose Lodge,” Stephenson says.

Cover story: The next book launch is set for June 18 at Niakwa Country Club.

The leaders are local movers and shakers ranging from business people and politicians to artists and folks involved in the non- profit sector. “The idea is for the participants in our class to hear first-hand what it takes to be a leader. It’s also about helping them make really good connections in the community,” Stephenson says. Everyone in the class writes a profile, and then they transform the stories into a unique book, working on teams to tackle every aspect of the task. “They have to learn how to work together. We choose certain people from the class to be on the editing committee, and they make sure

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centrallia

CLOSE ENCOUNTERS MEET YOUR MATCH AT CENTRALLIA MANITOBA

M anitobans asked for their own business-to-business networking event, and they’re getting it this fall. Centrallia Manitoba is ready to do launch Oct. 8-9 at the brand new Club Regent Event Centre. World Trade Centre (WTC) Winnipeg and the Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce are presenting the event at the request of businesses that attended Centrallia 2012. Modelled after France’s Futurallia international networking event, Centrallia was held in Winnipeg in 2010 and 2012. “We had people from all over the world that came here with that mindset of they want to grow their business and connect with new opportunities,” says WTC Winnipeg project manager Alberto Velasco. “In 2012, we had over 700 participants on the trade show and meeting floors. We had people coming from 35 countries, so it was a true global event.” Afterward, when staff surveyed participants, the response was overwhelmingly favourable. Manitobans loved the platform, the concept and the experience. And they wanted a similar event to focus on the Manitoba business community. Some participants reported that their best meetings were with local companies, and they said Centrallia introduced them to opportunities they didn’t even know existed. “Some found a potential partner located down the road, but didn’t know who they were or that there could be an opportunity there,” Velasco says. Organizers expect about 400 participants from 300 Manitoba companies to take advantage of one-on-one meetings, informative breakout sessions, a trade show and networking opportunities. Each business will have eight pre-qualified meetings based on selection criteria they include in their online profile on the Centrallia Manitoba 2014 website at www.mb.centrallia.com. Organizers are using Futurallia match-making software, and

Velasco urges participants to provide as much descriptive detail as possible to ensure they make the best matches. While business-to-business meetings will be the core events, Centrallia Manitoba is beefing up the value proposition. It’s including networking breaks throughout the program, as well as two networking receptions and three breakout sessions designed to provide expert insight into emerging trends. “The intention is to expose Manitobans to some of the market and economic trends that we are seeing, and that we would like them to also see so they can do the math and see where the opportunity is for each one of them,” Velasco says. Breakout sessions will focus on procurement, northern Manitoba and European markets and the green economy. Procurement panel speakers will discuss major projects that are happening around Manitoba and explain the criteria businesses should meet to get onboard as suppliers or contractors. Experts on northern Manitoba and the European Union will explain how businesses that build consortiums and partnerships will have greater success with those markets. And the green economy panel will look at how environmental responsibility has shifted from a trait companies should have to one they must have. Centrallia Manitoba kicks off Oct. 8 with a lunch and keynote address. The speaker hasn’t been named, but Velasco says it will be someone special. “We really want to set the tone and bring someone who can help us get everybody excited and get their blood flowing and get everybody hyped to connect.” Sign up early — there’s a discounted rate for the first 100 to register. And Velasco promises Centrallia will be hottest event during Small Business Month. “We’re the forum people don’t want to miss this year.” For more information, see www.mb.centrallia.com.

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lgbt* chamber

past five years, the organization has received more than 200 applications for the awards. “We’ve been blown away by the number and the magnitude of the innovative examples that we’re finding through this program,” Angus says. AWARDS SHOWCASE INNOVATORS OF ALL STRIPES by Danelle Cloutier THAT’S THE SPIRIT

The 2014 recipients are Advolve Media (start-up business), Graffiti Art Programming Inc. (charity), IMT InfoMagnetics Technologies Corporation (small business), Manitoba Harvest Hemp Foods (medium business), Shindico (large business) and The Manitoba Museum (not-for-profit). Graffiti Art executive director Stephen Wilson didn’t even know a former employee had submitted an application until he was notified that the organization was a finalist for the award. “I called her up and I said, ‘You bum! What are you doing? Just going to get our hopes up?’ We never get this kind of recognition.” That all changed at the awards gala. “It was really, really exciting and once our name was called, it was like the rest of it was a dream,” Wilson says. Graffiti Art has shown that art is much more than a picture on a wall. It can change lives. “We’re constantly reinventing and trying to be innovative and using this magical, mysterious and mystical thing we call art in different ways,” Wilson says. Graffiti Art uses art as a tool for community, social, economic and individual growth among youth. Its after-school art program has been especially popular, drawing participation from some 560 young people.

T he Spirit of Winnipeg Awards are all about innovation, so it’s not surprising that no two recipients look the same. From hemp production pioneers to digital media upstarts and socially conscious artists, the 2014 awards went to a variety pack of creative organization. “We take a very broad definition to innovation and that’s why when you look at who’s winning these awards, it’s across all different sectors,” says Dave Angus, president and CEO of the Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce. The chamber awards — co-founded with BDO Chartered Accountants and presented in partnership with Fillmore Riley LLP, were presented Feb. 28 at the fifth annual Spirit of Winnipeg Gala at the Fairmont Winnipeg. The 18 finalists and the six award recipients were chosen for their contributions to Winnipeg’s vibrancy. “I think it’s important for a community to celebrate innovation because number one, when we showcase these examples, it helps to inspire others,” Angus says. Chamber staff have been amazed to discover businesses and organizations who are taking innovation to new levels. Over the

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